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Conscious Leadership

There was this seasoned CEO who found absolute fulfillment in taking care of his employees and making their lives happy and comfortable.

He treated all his employees as his family members…

He behaved the same way, both at home and at work…

He discouraged his employees from working overtime. According to him, if his employees couldn’t finish their work by the end of the day, it was either because they weren’t given the proper tools or they were overworked. If they were overworked, he would quickly reassign their workload.

Have you heard something like this before?

Quite rare it is to find such people. It is these leaders that are usually referred to as Conscious Leaders.

A conscious leader is one who is always aware of his own self and the world around him. He connects with his inner self deeply, which allows him to understand what is going on inside and outside, at all times.

Tapped well into their human sides, conscious leaders have a lot of compassion, empathy and appreciation for others. Their self-awareness has made them mature individuals, who can easily recognize their own blind-spots and figure out the areas where they need to develop or improve.

Conscious leaders connect with people in healthy ways…

They have the knack of tapping into other people in order to bring out the best in them…

They generate trust and safety… They are open and transparent…

They have the courage to do what they feel is right…

You must have listened to the story ‘Emperor’s New Clothes,’ when you were a child. Do you remember the child in the story who was bold enough to call attention to the nakedness of the emperor? That’s how a conscious leader is.

He dares to blow the whistle whenever he comes across dysfunctional behavior. His high state of self-awareness helps him recognize such behavior readily.

Conscious leaders are not only aware of problems they also take the necessary actions, in a responsible way.

“Awareness without action is a sheer waste of time”

Being aware of something that is wrong and not doing anything about it could be painful. It poisons your soul, making you a complicit in the cover-up. Nevertheless, many people tend to cope up with such painful situations, pretending as if they never noticed. This is not going to bring in any difference.

As Robert Greenleaf, the author of Servant Leadership says…

“Good Leaders must first become good servants”

A conscious leader will always focus on “we.” He fosters transformation and makes sure he inspires others around him to do so.

He understands that his role is to make sure the organization achieves its goals. He engages himself with the job of supporting his employees and creating value for all the stakeholders.

A conscious culture is one that evolves from spoken and written goals, behaviors and values, and best practices that are measured, taught and reinforced thoroughly within the organization.

In such a kind of culture, employees get to understand the range of acceptable behaviors in a quicker way. Recruitment becomes a whole lot easier. It becomes easier to identify problems and take the necessary actions. It becomes easier to integrate when there is a merger or an acquisition. It becomes easier to change in a systematic way.

Conscious leaders do business, the right way

They stick to their morals and ethics, while being truly authentic. They care more about their employees and their customers rather than their shareholders. They do not lose their soul in their pursuit to maximize the profits of the organization.

Conscious leaders are very well-aware of the fact that business is not just about making money. They adopt the approach of offering true value in order to achieve long-term success. They are absolutely passionate and inspired about their work.

“If you chase the almighty dollar the chances are that you will never find it”

Conscious leaders lead by example

Conscious leaders do not force people to follow them. They inspire people through their words and actions. They are willing enough to share their insights with people around them – be it through speaking, writing or by taking the necessary action.

Not only do they impart knowledge that they have gained through their insight and experience, they also teach others how to apply this knowledge in order to help them avoid mistakes. They are authoritative and are viewed by those who follow them, as credible sources.

By following true leaders you get to learn a lot from them so that you can become a leader just like them. The leaders you pick could be those that you admire for their speaking abilities, teaching abilities or expertise in a particular niche or industry. You can read their articles, listen to their speeches or check out their social media activities.

Step #2: Adopting a Positive Attitude

Being negative about everything will in no way make you a conscious leader. You have to start seeing the positive aspects of situations and people around you. Listen to your team members, try seeing things from their perspective, empathize with them and guide them in the right direction.

Step #3: Be Alert and Aware at all times

This might be a little difficult initially; but as you get into the habit you will find it easier. Yoga or meditation might help in keeping yourself conscious at all times. The faster you recognize the problems the easier it becomes to handle them. You will be in a better position to avoid mistakes and prevent people around you from making mistakes. This in fact is the most important quality that makes you a conscious leader.

Conscious leadership does not involve gaining extensive knowledge. Be accountable for your actions and learn from your missteps and failures. Improving yourself based on these lessons and sharing them with people around you will itself make you a better leader.

Director, Litmus Branding Pvt. Ltd.
Ahmedabad, India
Hiren Panchal co-founded Litmus with Kapil. Hiren owns an exhaustive character and sharpens his views with an analytical mindfulness. He observes every creative with a conscious magnifier. Just as his doer attitude wins over his believer attitude, his thought leadership aims at creating leaders and not followers on his team. His creative insights have created brands worldwide and he has been commanding in the industry for +20 years. Come to the point, he’s already there.